The Chronicles of the Dragonborn
by Binbix
Summary: Hi! This is my first fanfic! This is the events of Skyrim through my OC the Dragonborn. There will be action, romance, and humor mostly because I have a messed up sense of humor. Hope you enjoy please leave suggestions!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey! As I said this is my first fanfic, so please tell me what you think! I'm new at this so I'd appreciate feedback, and please not the bad kind! I'll try to update as often as possible, depending on everyone's feedback and when I get the next chapter done. Hope you enjoy!**

In Chains

My first thought as I woke up on the rumbling wooden wagon was how much pain my head was in. My second, through the grogginess was more of a notice that my arms were bound behind me. Damn, those Imperials really did a number on me. As the effects of the blow to my head were wearing off, I heard a voice saying "Ah, good, you're finally awake." I turned to the source to find a muscular man with long dirty blonde hair in front of me, also bound. "You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush same as us, and that thief over there." I turned my aching head towards where the blonde was looking to see another man with long brown hair dressed in the same black garb as the blonde with a scarf over his mouth, and a punier man with short black hair dressed in rags with a scowl on his face. "Damn you Stormcloaks," he said, "Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy." So these two in black were Stormcloaks. I heard of them. They were completely against the Empire and their leader was supposedly heir to the throne. Basically your typical rebels against the Empire. Not that I cared much for the Empire, but I wasn't one to get involved with politics. Growing up on a farm tends to lessen the care of who governs whom when you've got tons of work to do. "If they hadn't been looking for you," he continued, "I could've stolen that horse and be halfway to Hammerfell." He gave one more dirty look, literally too, to the blonde and turned to me and said, "You and I shouldn't even be here! It's these damn Stormcloaks the Empire wants!" I guess he just wanted support for his argument, but he wasn't getting any from me. We were all caught anyway. No use fighting about it. "We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief." Said the blonde. I was about respond in agreement when the Imperial soldier driving the wagon shouted at us to be quiet. Lowering his voice, the thief nudged the dark one. "What's with him, huh?" He said, rudely. "Watch your tounge!" Said the blonde angrily. "You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King!" Oh shite, I thought with surprise, the leader of the rebellion is sitting right next to me! That also explained the scarf, which I then realized was a rag to gag him, as there were stories he had a sorcery talent known as the Voice which he used to kill the king. A load of shite if you ask me. This may get a little more serious than jail time. "Ulfric?" The thief asked incredulously. "The Jarl of Windhelm? But if they've captured you…" A look of horror spread over the thief's face. "Oh gods, where are they taking us?!" "I don't know where we're going," the blonde grimly answered, "but Sovengarde awaits." I looked to the front of the wagon and past the other one in front to try and make out what village we were approaching while the thief went into hysterics. "Hey what village are you from, horse thief?" The blonde asked. "Why do you care?" The now worried thief asked. The blonde looked forward. "A nord's last thoughts should be of home." He had a good point, so I thought of home. Unfortunately, I grew up near a small village and hardly went into town, so there weren't too many good memories. After my father died when I was a lad, it was just me and my mother, whom I doted after to try and make her happy and taken care of. Pa would've been proud, though Ma wanted me to find a girl and settle down. I just never found any of the nearby girls interesting or exciting I guess. The thief said he was from Rorikstead, which sounded a lot more exciting than a farm. We arrived at the gate and the soldiers signaled to a Genreal Tulius that we arrived. He said back the headsman was waiting. As the realization of my upcoming death hit me with great sadness, the thief was praying to any of the merciful gods he could name offhand. Funny what a man who sins by stealing for a living will do to pray to gods to live. The blonde sneered at Tulius and the Thalmar with him. The Thalmar were the highborn race of elves who answer only to the Empire's highest in command. "Damn elves, I bet they had something to do with this." As the blonde sadly reminisced on the days of his youth I saw the villagers staring at us grimly, some even ushering their kids inside. Cheerful place. Bet it's great on the weekends, I thought. We started to slow down. "Why are we stopping?" The thief asked, his voice full of fear. "Why do you think?" The blonde answered grimly. "End of the line." I sighed. This was it. "Time to finally face the gods." Said the blonde, I nodded as we stood up and got in line. All of us but the thief were silent, as he kept protesting that it was all a mistake. The guard started calling names to the block. "Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm" As Ulfic silently moved forward, the blonde said aloud, "It's been an honor to serve with you." A few more names were called before they finally called "Lokir of Rorikstead" who I guess was the thief. Still protesting and hysterical, Lokir stepped forward before completely losing and ran for his life, until he got shot by an archer. Not the smartest move. The guard looked at me and back at his list and frowned. I guess they didn't get my name. He called me forward and asked "What's your name, Nord?" "Will Svennson, sir" I answered. He turned to captain and asked what should be done as I was not on the list. A glimmer of hope surged through me as I realized that I might survive! "I don't care. Send him to the block. Shite, my life thrown away because of this bitch. "Sorry" Said the guard and motioned me to the block where Tulius was reading Ulfric his charges for death. "You started this war, and now we're going to end it by putting you down to bring back the peace!" Suddenly a loud sound could be heard echoing throughout the valley. Almost like some sort of animal. "What was that?" Someone asked. "It was nothing, carry on." Said Tulius. "Yes sir!" The priest was starting to read the rights when a Stormcloak next to me cut her off and demanded to get the beheading over with. They brought him forward. He kept taunting the Empire until the axe cut through his neck. I looked on, sickened. The bitch-captain motioned to me. "Next prisoner!" I swear she loves this job too much" Then the sound came back again. This time it could be heard as a loud roar. What in the hells was that? "I said next prisoner!" The bitch shouted completely ignoring her comrades' fear. I stepped forward, silently praying to the gods if not for a miracle then at least safe passage. As I knelt down onto the block, the roar came again. "What in Oblivion is that? Shouted Tulius. Everyone was getting really scared now. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw something flying in the sky. It was too big to be a bird. With a loud crash everyone turned to see a gigantic black dragon with horns all over landing hard on top of the fort. For a few moments no sound was made. Petrified, I stared into in beady black eyes. It stared back, the let out a huge ROOAAARRRR! Oh, shite,


	2. Chapter 2

**Author****'****s Note: Hey! Thanks to Candywolf33 for the suggestion, feel kind of like an idiot for not putting in paragraphs. I have a lot of vacation time now, so plenty of time if you've got stuff for me. Will try to make as many chapters as I can. Hope you enjoy! P.S. Something I forgot to say beforehand, I don****'****t own Skyrim**

Escaping through the Heat

Dark red storm clouds seemed to form around the roaring dragon as it let out huge blazing jets of fire breath. I was knocked over by one of the waves of wind the colossal wings were beating. "Someone kill that thing!" Tulius screamed as he ran for cover like a little girl. The blonde Stormcloak I rode with stumbled over to me "Come on, get up!" He shouted over the din of the chaos. He grabbed a knife of the ground and cut me loose. As I rubbed my wrists, he grabbed me and shouted, "The gods won't give us another chance! This way!" He ran towards one of the barely standing towers where Ulfric and other captives were urging us forward. I looked behind and saw the dragon circling above, raining hell down on all of us. I dove through the door as another blast of fire came my way.

The blonde slammed the door shut. "Jarl Ulfric! What is that thing?! Could the legends be true?" Ulfric looked at the both of us. "Legends don't burn down villages, Ralof." ROOAAARRRR! "We need to get moving NOW!" Ulfic shouted. "Up the tower!" Cried Ralof. I ran up stairs as fast as I could. I was almost halfway up when the wall in front of me burst open. I came to a screeching halt and jumped backwards when I saw the head of the fucking dragon peering through. He roared, fire bursting through, destroying everything in its path. When the fire subsided the dragon's head was gone, only the hole in the wall remained. Unfortunately the damage done blocked the way up the tower. Great, I thought, can't catch a break. As I peered outside to the village's destruction, Ralof came up behind me. He looked outside and pointed. "To the inn! See you on the other side!" He jumped to the house below us, through the burned and broken roof onto the top floor. He turned to me and signaled to follow while he kept running. I took one look and thought, Yeah right like that's gonna happ-. I suddenly saw the dragon circling around again. On second thought.

I took a few steps back and jumped forward, following Ralof. We ran through the chaos. People screaming. Soldiers trying in vain to kill the dragon. We came to an alley. "Against the wall!" The dragon landed on that very wall, he didn't seem to notice us. "AL… SHOL… TOOR!" I looked up to see the dragon breathing fire again. Did he say that? Did this dragon fucking talk?! When the dragon left we kept moving towards the inn. As we headed towards an entrance I saw soldiers headed towards a different one. Hope they don't decide to kill us in there, I thought. We ran inside and shut the door.

As I was catching my breath, I saw Ralof looking at a dead Stormcloak sadly. "Looks like we're the only ones who made it in here." He said. I nodded. "Did Ulfric make it out?" I asked. he shrugged. "Probably. We've been in tough situations before." "Not like this I bet." "No…" He agreed. "Not like this at all." He turned to me. "Just like in the children stories. That was a dragon! One of the harbingers of End Times." He motioned to the dead Stormcloak. "We need to get moving, and he won't be needing his things. Take his armor and weapons." Wow, just like that? This guy was his friend, and he just wants me to leave him almost naked? Seems kind of harsh, but desperate times and all that. I started taking his dark armor off and put it on as quickly as I could. Then I grabbed his short axe and gave it a few practice swings. Not my ideal weapon, but beggars can't be choosers. Ralof tried one of the gates in the small room we were in. Locked as he went to the other one he said, "I'm Ralof, if you didn't hear before. You said your name was Will?" I nodded. He tried the other gate. "No use it can't be opened from…" He stopped short. "Imperialists! Will, hide!" As we crouched on either side, I heard voices opening the gate. In stepped a soldier and the bitch who ordered my death. Time for some payback.

We took the soldiers by surprise and killed them. I took their key and reopened the gate. We ran through the halls, looting the nearby rooms for supplies when we found stairs leading downward. To our horror we found a torture chamber where there were more soldiers waiting for us. We cut our way through, fighting to the caves. After a few more soldiers, giant spiders, and a bear, we finally found the way out. Breathing fresh air again, the joy of escape was soon crushed by fear when I saw the dragon flying above us. "Shite," I cursed, "get down!" The dragon didn't seem to notice us, and flew away. We were alive, but questions went through my mind. Dragons had been gone for centuries, so how was this one still alive? "We'd better get out of here before any Imperials come to lock us up again. My sister, Gurda lives in a village up the road. She'll take us in for now. After that it's best we split up." I nodded, and we went forward while keeping a wary watch to the skies.

**Author****'****s Note: I know everything that I wrote isn****'****t 100% but I wanted to make it more believable and short, seeing as putting the whole escape would've taken like three pages. I also chose to go with Ralof rather than the guard, but I****'****ve decided to be neutral concerning both sides. Mostly not to upset anyone who hates the other side. So that means, any side quests that I may do or not do, I****'****m not putting in signing up with the Stormcloaks or Imperials and doing the final fight between the two. Hope you guys are enjoying and don****'****t forget to comment!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hey! So far Candywolf33 is my only reviewer. Not that I'm complaining, thanks by the way! I know I've been updating pretty often, but my vacation schedule is about to get crazy so I won't be updating as often, but I promise to try and make time! I don't own Skyrim**

On Destiny's Path

Rolaf and I headed down the mountainside, towards his sister's village. We hadn't seen the dragon or any Imperials for some time, so the tension was gone. We were almost just strolling along, and taking in the beauty of the day, as if the carnage and destruction we'd just escaped never happened. Rolaf and I talked a bit on our way down. He talked of the Stormcloaks and their righteousness and how I should join up with them. I just nodded through politely and said I'd think about it. I wasn't interested in taking up sides in a war. If I want adventure, I don't need Stormcloaks or Imperials.

Rolaf stopped and pointed to some old ruins on the far side of the valley. "See that? Bleak Falls Barrow. I could never understand how my sister could stand living in the shadow of the place." He shuddered. "Maybe its history makes up for its looks?" I volunteered. He shrugged. "I guess you get used to it" We continued on, though Bleak Falls was on my mind. I wondered who named it, and if they were utterly depressing or had a very strange sense of humor. This kept going on through my head until we came upon three pillar-like stones.

They were arranged in a triangle and were stood up. There was a different picture carved into each stone and a hole on top of each carving. "These are the Guardian Stones," Rolaf explained, when he saw my curiosity, "three of the thirteen ancient standing stones that dot Skyrim's landscape." He turned to me. "Go ahead, see for yourself." "See what?" "You can receive a blessing from one of these ancient stones, give it a try." I never really gave much belief in things like this before, but then again I saw a dragon this morning so this can't be too far fetched. I walked up to the stones. The first stone I saw had a carving of a man in a robe holding a staff with light coming out of it. He looked like some sort of mage. I turned to the left and saw a carving of a man in a hood, holding a knife. I guessed he was a thief of some sort. The stone to my right showed a man in armor holding a sword and shield. It was obvious he was a warrior, just like the ones Pa would tell stories about before he died. I reached out to touch the carving. Suddenly the runes on the stone lit up bright blue when my fingers touched the stone. A blue orb appeared in the hole in the middle and a blue stream shot up into the sky. After a moment it all faded. I turned to Rolaf. "What in the hells just happened?"

He grinned. "You were blessed lad! A warrior's blessing too might I add!" I was still confused. "But what does it mean?" We continued on as Rolaf answered. "It means just that. You've just been blessed, and Fate has made you out to be a warrior. Be grateful, she doesn't bless everyone." "A warrior?" I asked. "But I'm no fighter. The thought of killing another soul never even excited me." Rolaf smirked. "Could've fooled me back at the inn and dungeon." You cut through those soldiers easily, and they were no pushovers." "Yeah, I guess." I said. "How'd it feel?" "Huh?" "I said how'd it feel to kill a man?" He repeated. "I don't know." I responded. "It was him or me." "Good," Rolaf nodded, "that's the way to think. No need to turn you into a bloodthirsty killing machine."

Soon we reached the town of Riverwood . "Looks like no one knows what happened yet." Rolaf noted. "Come on. Gerdur's probably working in her lumber mill." We whisked through the town trying not to make any attention to ourselves. "Gerdur!" Rolaf called out to a blonde woman when we reached the lumber mill. "Brother!" Gerdur cried and ran to hug her brother. "Mara's mercy it's good to see you!" I could see the family resemblance in Gerdur. Though not as strong as Rolaf, their blonde hair definitely set them apart as siblings. Gerdur suddenly withdrew from the embrace. "But is it safe for you to be here? After I heard of Ulfric's capture…" "Gerdur…" Rolaf tried, but she kept on worrying. "Gerdur, I'm fine. At least now I am." "Were you hurt? What happened?" She turned to me. "And who's this? One of your comrades?" "Not a comrade yet, but a friend." He answered proudly. "I owe him my life, in fact. Will, this is my sister Gerdur. Gerdur, this is Will." She smiled at me while I simply blushed. I wasn't used to people praising me.

"Gerdur is there somewhere we can talk?" We told Gerdur all that happened in Helgen and our escape from the dragon." She couldn't believe it, but she understood. "What's this world coming to? Dragons are back?" She shook her head. "Riverwood is defenseless!" She suddenly cried. "We need to get word to Jarl Balgruuf in Whiterun to send whatever troops he can!" She turned to me if you do that for me, I'll be forever in your debt." "Then that's where I'll be heading." I said. Rolaf turned to me. "I should get going and meet up with the Stormcloaks. Good luck on your journey." "You too." My adventure begins now.

**Author's Note: So I was thinking about maybe doing some side quests. Not sure yet. Any suggestions?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I don't own Skyrim. That's all I can really say.**

Giants and Dragons

Gerdur let me stay the night before setting out again. I needed the rest if I was to go out again. Though I'm not sure how much rest I got with her young son pestering me about the events of the day. I didn't tell him much. No use having a seven year old going around saying how there are dragons again. After a light breakfast, I thanked Gerdur for her hospitality and went to the blacksmith to buy better gear. I used whatever money I looted from Helgen and sold some other stuff I got, like rings and animal pelts, and I bought some better armor and a cheap greatsword. Finally, I was on my way after using what little money I had left to buy a map so I could find Whiterun easier.

It was a nice day out, as I walked along the path, but still wary from the events of the day before, I was on the lookout for danger. As I reached a farm area, which my map said was the Pelagia, I saw three people, who were obviously not farmers, fighting a giant. He wasn't as big as the stories say, more like double the size of a normal man. There was a man with a standard sword and shield, and two women, one with and axe and the other with a bow and arrows. Even though they seemed to have everything under control, I took out my sword and joined the fight. The others didn't seem to notice my addition to the fight, even after I slashed the giant in the back. He turned around and swung at me with his club, while being pelted with arrows by the archer. I ducked while the swordsman stabbed the giant through the chest. The giant went down with a thud.

"You handle yourself well." I spun around to see the female archer sheathing her bow. "Thanks, you guys did most of the work though." "Indeed." She responded, looking me over like I was some sort of new species of animal. "You could make for a decent Shield-Brother." "Sorry? What's a Shield-Brother?" I asked. "An outsider, eh? Never heard of the Companions? We are an order of warriors. Brothers and sisters in honor. And we show up to solve problems if the coin is good enough." I raised an eyebrow. "So, you're mercenaries?" She scowled at me. "Some may see it that way but we are much more. If you feel yourself worthy, come find us in Whiterun." She turned away and her companions followed. The swordsman gave me one last look and grunted before following the women. I could've sworn heard him growl. I started to follow them, as they said they were based in Whiterun, but they soon were too far ahead of me to see, so I continued alone. Traveling alone is terribly dull, I thought, it's much better to travel with company for conversation.

Finally I reached the gates of Whiterun. The guard at the gate stopped me. "Sorry. Word of dragons about. Official business only may enter or leave Whiterun." "But I have news of the Helgen attack." I said. "Oh," said the guard, "in that case you better go in and see the Jarl. He's in Dragonsreach at the top of the hill." I thanked him as he opened the gate, and I made my way through. I went through the village of Whiterun, looking around at my surroundings the wole way up the hill. I saw a blacksmith shop, several marketplace stands, tons of houses, and a huge building where I saw the three warriors from earlier entering. The archer saw me, and gave me a lingering look before entering. I turned uphill and saw a giant castle before me. This must be Dragonsreach, I thought. I went up the many steps and through the doors. I saw at the end of the great hall I was standing in, the Jarl sitting on his throne talking with his advisors.

As I came closer, a green elfish female, armed to the teeth came towards me, sword in hand. "Who dares interrupt the Jarl? Sate your business, and do it fast." "I have news on the dragon attack in Helgen." She sheathed her blade. "You were at Helgen? I apologize. As housecarl I must anticipate every threat to Jarl Balgruuf's life. Approach him, he'll want to speak with you personally." The Jarl and his advisors, now at full attention to my presence and the housecarl's reaction to my words, eyed me as I approached. "So, you were at Helgen? You saw this dragon with your own eyes?" "Yes, a huge black dragon with a lot of horns attacked and Helgen is now probably lost among ashes." "I see…" Balgruuf responded. He turned to one of his advisors. "What do you say now, Proventus? Shall we continue to trust the strength in our walls? Against a dragon?" After conversing with both the housecarl and his advisors, he ordered the housecarl, whose name was Irileth, to send protection to Riverwood.

Everyone left and he turned to me, thanking me for coming all this way to give warning. He then asked me for a favor, and led me to his court wizard, Farengar, who knew a thing or two about dragons. When I asked what they needed from me, Farengar said, "It's more of a matter of dwelling into certain danger and finding an ancient stone tablet that may or may not be there." Okay… I thought, nothing too new to what I've been through so far. When I asked him to explain he said he was interested thoroughly in the dragons history, where they disappeared to where they came from, and this stone tablet, or Dragonstone, could shed some light on these questions and get us closer to defending the lands from dragons. He told me I could find the Dragonstone in Bleak Falls Barrow. The Jarl told me it was a priority to safety of the people and that Whiterun would be in my debt. "But first, you will rest here and get some better gear before setting out again." I nodded and headed to the inn. Maybe I could get a few tankards before leaving.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: So I don't have as much free time as I did before and my vacation is almost over so I won't be able to update as often so I'll try to. do it when I can. I don't own Skyrim. Enjoy! **

**P.S. To ****psalty****: Exactly! That's also why it's just easier for me to go neutral throughout the whole storyline, that way I don't upset other characters who I need to help me.**

The Cavern of the Supernatural

I visited the female blacksmith, Adrianne, before going to the inn. She promised to have my gear ready by morning. Thankfully, Balgruuf gave me some coin for my services so I could pay off the blacksmith and get a cheap room at the inn. You would think that for a Jarl, he would give more money, but I suppose times are tough as it is, with an impending war coming. Now he has to deal with not only Stormcloaks and Imperials knocking at his door to pledge allegiance, but a giant, fire breathing dragon roaming his lands.

When morning came, and when the hangover ceased, I was outside Adrianne's door waiting for my gear. A nearby guard gave me a sideways look before speaking. "Yeah, I used to be an adventurer like you. Then I took an arrow to the knee." I gave him a long look, with one eyebrow raised. "An arrow?" I asked. He nodded. "To the knee?" He nodded. "Just one arrow? Not a whole flurry of them? He hesitated and shook his head. "And this was a regular arrow?" He nodded. "Not enchanted or poisoned or anything like that?" He shook his head slowly, and I could tell he was getting nervous. "And there was no medical aid given to your knee in time to save it? No bandages or healers or any healing magic around? Because we have a lot of those." "Uh… well y-you see…" He stuttered. "You never were an adventurer were you? This guard duty is the closest you've ever gotten to using weapons." He nodded weakly, and a bit shamefully too. "Just don't lie about it, it's annoying."

Adrianne finally came outside with my gear freshly remade with better wood and iron. Nothing against Riverwood's blacksmith, but you can't get good materials in small villages. I immediately set out towards Bleak Falls Barrow, but since I actually knew where I was going, I got there much faster than anticipated. As I scaled the mountain it lay atop of, the air grew colder and snow was forming to mounds. By the time I saw the ruins, I was in at least three feet of snow. Of course, with my luck so far, there had to trouble.

Bandits were all over the place. Either this was their hideout, or they were looking to raid the place for some easy coin. Getting through them and inside the ruins was no challenge, as they were no fighters. I couldn't help but think back to when I touched the ancient stone with Ralof. Maybe I am destined to be some type of warrior. Here I am, a boy who grew up on a farm, never been in a fight all my life, and now I'm cutting down any bandit who dares attack me. One of the bandits was screaming "Where's Arvel with the claw?" I held my sword to his throat. "What claw?" He gulped. "T-the golden claw." It's the key to the vault down below." I removed my sword and told him to get out. He didn't take my mercy lightly, for he tried to attack me when my back was turned. I turned around and struck him down in one stroke. I wiped my blade and continued on.

Soon I was deep inside the caverns, finding a maze of twists and turns, but most of all dog sized spiders. I fought through them and continued on when I heard a voice calling for help. It may have been Arvel, the one the other bandit was talking about. I cut my way through tick webs to find a man, who I guessed was Arvel, stuck in really thick webbing and in front of him was a giant spider as big as a house. I kept quiet, creeping up behind so hopefully it wouldn't see me and I could take it by surprise. "You! Please help me!" Arvel shouted in my direction, which caused the spider to turn around. Shite! I jumped out of the way as the spider lunged, its mandibles ready to crush me for dinner. I rolled to the side and cut a few legs off with some swipes. Now that it was handicapped, killing the spider was easier. Just a stab into its head, and abdomen just to be safe. "Good, you did it, you killed it." Said the Arvel. "Now cut me down before anything else shows up." "Where's the golden claw?" I asked. "Yes, the claw." He said. "I know how it works. The claw, the markings, the Hall of Stories, I know how it all fits together! Help me down, and I'll show you! You won't believe the power the Nords have hidden there." "Fine," I said, "let me cut you down first." After a few swings, he was down on the ground.

He stood up and looked at me, then turned around around and ran through the corridor. "You fool!" He shouted as I gave chase. "Why should I share the treasure with anyone?" I cursed as he picked up speed. My sword was already in its sheath, and it was a two handed weapon. I'd have to stop to take it out to get Arvel. It turns out that I didn't have to run far because he stopped dead in his tracks. "What in the hells?!" He soured in surprise and fear. I came up behind and what I saw was indeed horrific. Skeletons, everywhere were climbing out of their coffins, weapons in hand and were making for us. Arvel tried to fight them off but the first skeleton cut him down in one stroke. As horrified as I was, I fought the undead warriors to… well the death I suppose. I grabbed the golden claw of Arvel's body and kept fighting my way through the crypt.

Eventually I got through the entire undead army, with the help of a few health potions I looted from the bandits. I came upon a circular door with a whole array of symbols on it. I took out the golden claw and looked at it. This must be the entrance to the Hall of Stories. The Dragonstone has to be in there. As I was wondering how to get in, I noticed markings on the claw that matched those on the door. I moved them in place and put the claw in a designated spot the move the door open. I came through to a room with a large pedestal on top. There were some chests, but for some reason, I was drawn to the wall.

There were dozens of rune markings in a language I didn't understand, but one set of the markings seemed to grow bright. My vision started to fade around the room as the markings grew brighter and brighter until it shone light so bright, it was like it was burning the markings into my mind. Then, in an instant, it stopped, and my vision returned to normal. I took a step back and wondered what just happened when a coffin opened behind me. I took out my sword and cut the undead in half. I looked inside the coffin and saw a stone tablet. It had to be the Dragonstone. I took the tablet, gave one last look at the strange wall, and left to escape this strange dungeon and go back to Whiterun.

**Author's Note: Hope you liked the joke I put in the beginning with the guard. I'm probably not the first to come up with a joke like that but I still enjoyed it hope you all do too!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: So my vacation is almost over so Ithis may be my last update for a while which is okay because I wanted to do this chapter before I ha d to go back to school, and it's my favorite so far! I'll try to update A.S.A.P. I don't own Skyrim. Enjoy! **

Birth of a Hero

It took some time, but I finally made it back to Whiterun. I went straight up to Dragonsreach to give Balgruuf and Farengar the Dragonestone. Farengar, for the most part, seemed impressed. "My associate will be delighted to see this. She was the one who provided me with the location." He turned to a woman in robes who I didn't notice before standing in the corner. "You went to Bleak Falls and got that?" "Yes ma'am." I answered happily. It was hard work and I nearly died several times over, not that it was any different from the past few days, and I succeeded. Life's great, no? "Nice work." She nodded, eyeing me suspiciously. Just then Irileth came up running. "Farengar, you're needed at once! A dragon's been spotted nearby!"

She turned to me. "You should come too. We need every able bodied man available!" We ran up the steps to Balgruuf's war room while Farengar asked questions about the dragon. He seemed to be more interested in the damn beast than the well being of those it was attacking. We found Balgruuf talking to a guardsmen who said he was from the western tower out in the plains. "The dragon came fast faster than anything I've ever seen in my life!" He exclaimed. "Was it attacking anyone?" Balgruuf asked. "No it was just circling the tower in the sky. When I saw it I ran as fast as I could. I thought for sure it would get me!" "Good lad, get some rest. Irileth, assemble your men to combat the dragon." "They're already waiting for my signal, my Jarl." She bowed. Balgruuf turned to me. "I need your help again. You survived Helgen so you have more experience than anyone here on dragons. Please help Irileth and her men kill the beast." I started to protest. "Sir, uh Jarl Balgruuf, just because I was lucky enough to have survived doesn't mean I'm any better at killing a dragon than your men are. How am I to fight this thing?" He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Though I have not known you long, I can tell from your journey that you have the courage to carry out such a task. I have faith in you." Great but I sure didn't.

I ran down with Irileth to the gates of Whiterun while Farengar was pleading with Balgruuf to see the dragon before we killed it. What a psychopath. The dragon was gone by the time we reached the tower, though the smoking bits of what was left of it proved it was attacked. As we got nearer a lone guard popped out screaming hysterically. "Get away! It's going to come back! It already grabbed Tokir and-!" He stopped mid sentence and looked up in horror. "Oh gods, here it comes again!" We looked up to see a fire breathing red dragon coming down at us. I lunged out of the way of its fire breath and unsheathed my sword. It landed in front of us and started swiping soldiers with its tail, and clawing others with its massive paws (or whatever you call dragon hands). We tried pushing forward, stabbing each time its scaly flesh came close, but the damage we were doing was minimal. I knew we couldn't just keep attain it head on for much longer, because at some point the dragon would use its wings as an advantage and pick us off from the skies. I then looked to the tower and back at the dragon. An idea formed.

I ran to the tower and up its steps until I reached its singed roof. I saw the dragon below me, it just needed to get a little closer… there! I jumped with my sword thrusted downward, into the dragon's neck. It lashed out in pain and tried to claw at me or shake me off. I held onto my sword lodged in its neck. Finally, the dragon collapsed. I wrenched my sword out and held it up in the air, victorious. The soldiers began cheering as I climbed off the body. Even Irileth was impressed. I grinned. I did it! I killed a dragon! And here I was doubting myself. Suddenly all their expressions turned to surprise. Oh no, I thought, is it still alive? There goes my luck. I turned around in anticipation, and was completely taken by surprise.

Wisps of energy seemed to be luring out of the dragon. They lingered in the air, gathering itself almost, before heading straight to me in a flash. My body surged with energy, as the wisps went from the dragon to me. Through the light I could see the dragon's skin decomposing with each wisp that came off it. Soon it was done, and the dragon was a skeleton. All the energy was built up inside me, and it felt like it was going to burst. Suddenly, the markings I saw on the runes came to my mind in such a force, that I felt I almost understood them. A word came to my mind, one that I never heard before or knew what it meant. All I knew was that I had to shout it out. "FOS!" I shouted, and a big wave of blue energy leaped from out of my mouth, shaking and pushing anything it touched. I stood back in amazement wondering what just happened when one of the shocked soldiers spoke. "I don't believe it… you… you're a Dragonborn!"

**Author's Note: Cliffhanger! See you next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: So I'm back in school now and it's a little harder to keep updating every so often, but I'll try my best! Thanks to some writing tips from ****Jacobnater**** (Thanks again btw) I'm going to experiment with a different type of writing, so as to make reading the story much easier. Let me know how it turns out! I don't own Skyrim. Enjoy! **

**P.S. ursus105: Thanks! Glad you're a fan!**

The Call

I looked at the soldier incredulously. "Dragonborn? What do you mean?" Still with a shocked expression he explained,

"In old times when there were dragons still around, the Dragonborn would slay a dragon and absorb their power. That's what you did, isn't it? Absorbed its power?" I didn't know what to say to that. I looked back at the dragon's skeleton. Is that what just happened? It certainly would explain a few things, but seriously Dragonborn? It seemed so unreal. Like something out of a bedtime story Pa would tell me. Then again, a beast that's been gone for centuries dies at my hand and its skin turns into energy which I apparently absorbed. Not your typical day, I suppose.

"I think you may be right." I say to the soldier.

He nods. "Yes, I think I am. You can Shout now. That can only mean one thing. You must be Dragonborn." All the soldiers started mumbling amongst one another. Some couldn't believe it, and others were gaping with awe.

Irileth broke the confusion and said, "Dragonborn or no there's one thing we can agree on, and it's that the dragon is dead! Victory!" The soldiers snapped out of confusion and shouted along with her.

We all started to head back, though everyone was still staring at me out of wonderment. Irileth told me to go on ahead, as Balgruuf would want to hear this from me. It was just when I reached Whiterun, that suddenly a loud rumble could be heard throughout the land. The skies looked clear, so it was no thunder, but I could tell it was no storm the way the land was shaking. Then I heard a rumble that sounded like words. Kind of like the Shout I just did after absorbing the dragon and what the black dragon at Helgen was saying. "DOV… AHH… KIN!" It seemed to say. I stood in amazement when the rumble was over. What was that? I turned towards Dragonsreach and ran, hoping Balgruuf or Farengar would have answers.

The moment I got there, I was immediately ushered in to Balgruuf straight away. "You heard the summons didn't you?" He asked right away. "Summons?" I asked incredulously. "Didn't you hear it when you entered Whiterun? The Greybeards were summoning you from High Hrothgar. This hasn't happened in centuries, at least." Balgruuf frowned and asked me what happened at the tower. "Well, I killed the dragon."

"The black one you spoke of?" He asked.

"No, it was a different one." Another frown

"What else happened?"

"Uh, well… I sort of absorbed its power and I may be something called a Dragonborn." I stammered, still not sure how he would take this, after all I was still having trouble.

Balgruuf's eye's went wide as he sat back on his throne. "So it's true," he gasped, "the Greybeards really were summoning you." This time it was my turn to frown. "Greybeards?

"Masters of the Way of the Voice." He explained. "They live in seclusion high on the slopes of the Throat of the World."

"What do they want with me?"

"The Dragonborn is said to be uniquely gifted in the Voice, the ability to focus your vital essence into a Thu'um or Shout. If you really are Dragonborn, they can teach you how to use this gift."

What came next was a loud assortment of arguments concerning the summons and whether or not I was Dragonborn. I wasn't really listening, all of this was just processing in my head. All of this talk of Dragonborns and Thu'um was a lot to take in. Balgruuf silenced everyone and said, "When you killed that dragon, something was revealed inside of you, and the Greybeards heard it. Who are we to argue with them? You must journey to High Hrothgar and answer the summons. It is a great honor." Balgruuf then went into a reminiscent mood as he remembered making the pilgrimage there once, how peaceful it was and disconnected from the troubles of the world. "I wonder if they even know what's going on down here. They haven't seemed to care before."

He stood up. "There is no question, you must go to High Hrothgar, at once. You've done a great service for me and this city. As Jarl of Whiterun, I name you Thane of Whiterun, it's the greatest title I grant in my power." He gestured to the side of the room where there stood a young brunette woman, no older than I, garbed in armor. "I also hereby assign you Lydia as a personal Housecarl." The brunette stepped forward. I turned back to Balgruuf, who gave me a nod of respect. It was time to go, I guess. I turned around to the entrance to see Lydia waiting for me. She bowed her head and struck her fist against her chest as a sign of respect. "My Thane," she said, "I am honored to serve you." I nodded, and we left together.

I awoke with a start. The night air was cool against my sweat. I wiped my brow and edged closer to the fire to see Lydia sharpening her sword while keeping watch opposite me. "Bad dreams, my Thane?" She asked.

"Yeah," I answered with hesitation, "Helgen kind of stuck with me." She nodded.

"Sights of death are not easy to overcome, my Thane." I looked at her.

"Could you stop calling me Thane? It's discomforting."

"Would you prefer Dragonborn?" She suggested.

"Hells no," I replied, "that's worse. Just call me by my name, Will."

"Will." She tried. I looked around at our surroundings for a bit then looked back at her. I had to admit Lydia looked very comely by the firelight. I must have been looking too long because she gave me a funny look. "What is it?" She asked.

"Nothing," I quickly replied, "it's just that I was wondering what your story was. Where did you come from and all that." She hesitated before replying. Clearly she wasn't asked this question often. "Why do you want to know?" I shrugged.

"Well we're going to be traveling together for a while, might as well get to know each other. I mean, what exactly does a Housecarl do?"

"As my Thane, I'm sworn to your service." She said. "I'll guard you and everything you own with my life.

"So like I said, we're going to be together for a while." I waited for her to respond.

"Well, I was born in a city, not unlike Whiterun, and when I was old enough, I chose swords over dresses and trained to be a soldier. Eventually I was moved to Whiterun to train as a Housecarl until I was assigned to a Jarl or Thane, and that's about it."

"Really?" I asked. "That's it? No family? Friends?"

"I was an orphan." She explained. "As for friends, they came and went fast. I was close with some people, but now they're distant memories." I was stunned. She had such a solitary life and wasn't even fazed by it. Not by much anyway. But I understood what her life was like. I had one like that too.

"And you, my Thane?" She asked suddenly. I glared at her for a second. "I mean, Will. What's your story?" I smiled at her mistake.

"Well, not much to tell. I was born to a farmer and his wife. My mother died, early in my childhood, and my father followed years later when I was seven and ten years. I spent some time working on the farm, but I had too much trouble getting money because of the war going on. So I packed up and was about to cross the border to find some work, or at least some adventure, until I was promptly arrested, and later freed by a dragon." I never talked this often with people before. In the village I grew up near, there weren't many children my age, so I too had no friends." I raised my hands in exasperation. "Now I'm a Dragonborn with a Housecarl. Funny how life has turned out for me." Lydia gave a soft chuckle, and I grinned. She was stone cold up until this moment and I got her to smile! She reached over to the fire, dousing it a bit to dim the light.

"We should get some sleep." She said. "We have a big day tomorrow." I agreed before lying down and closing my eyes. My dreams that night, were not of Helgen.

**Author's Note: So as you can see it's a bit different but hopefully better. You can also see this is where the romance comes in. I always thought Lydia was the hottest woman in this game. My opinion, just saying. If you disagree, that's your opinion. Keep sending in reviews, so I can keep improving! See you next time!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Hey sorry it's been a while. Been dealing with a lot of school stuff, plus registration for next year's classes and exams. Hate school. But good news, summer's almost here! Yay! Anyway moving on, here's the long awaited chapter. I don't own Skyrim. Enjoy! **

The Way of The Voice

It was midmorning by the time we reached the village of Ivarstead, the base of High Hrothgar. We were, thankfully, able to reach the village without any mishaps. Well besides the bandit ambushes here and there, but that didn't count as they were too easy to dispatch. Yeah, we're that good. As we headed to where one of the villagers told us the journey to the top starts, I looked at Lydia. She didn't say much since our talk the previous night. I didn't think this relationship I had with her was going to get more personal. She was very distant, even to her Thane. I doubted much would come out of this, but… I couldn't stop thinking about her. The way she looked, the way she moved, the way she spoke. It was all stuck in my head. Damn women, I thought, getting stuck in men's heads.

"Here we are." Lydia announced. I looked up, and kept looking up. I could understand why it was called High Hrothgar. It was a very, very tall mountain.

"How many steps did Jarl Balgruuf say there were?" I asked.

"According to the Jarl, and various others who've made the journey, 7,000." She answered. Shite.

"We'd better get started then." I said, my legs already beginning to hurt at the though of 7,000 steps. This should be fun. And so we began.

I was panting when we finally reached the top. It was midday when we finally reached the top. Midday of the next day, that is. We probably would've reached the top sooner if not for a few mishaps along the way. Which included the occasional wolves and a giant ice troll. Like I said, fun climb. I was about to head through the great iron doors to the massive keep of the Greybeards when Lydia stopped me. "Are you sure you're at full health, my Thane?"

"First, I thought we covered the Thane matter already, and second, what do you mean?" I said, my eyes lingering on her hand holding my arm… I need help.

"What I mean, Will," she said with some effort, "that you just went through wolves, an ice troll, and 7,000 steps of this mountain. Surely you're not ready to enter are you?"

"Ready for what?" I asked, puzzled. "All I'm doing is going in to talk with some old, wise men"

"Old, _mysterious_, wise men." She replied. "No one has known what they've been up to for years, and now they suddenly summon you here? I don't like this."

"It's nothing to worry about." I shrug "Besides, if it turns out they're actually evil wise, old men with an agenda, it's nothing we can't handle."

"Fine," Lydia withdrew her hand, "you lead, I follow." I nodded and opened the doors.

It was dark and warm inside, compared to the bright coldness of the mountain air outside, so it took some time for my eyes to adjust. When they did, I saw several old men dressed in robes stepping forward. No doubt these were the fabled Greybeards. One stepped right in front of me. "So," he said "a Dragonborn appears, at this moment in the turning of the age." He seemed to say it in a undermining tone,

"I answered your summons," I say, "I am Dragonborn."

"We shall see. Show us your craft, let us taste your Voice." Did this old man want me to use the Shout? Is he crazy? Besides I only used it the one time. I have no idea how to do it again. But I had to try. Pa once told me a story about magecraft, and said in order to use it, the mage had to focus his thoughts and feelings together in order to let it out. It was worth a shot, and I had to do something for these old weirdos.

I thought back to how I felt when I first Shouted, and the word that I said. I could feel the energy inside me build up as I turned to the side and shouted "FUS!" The entire room shook as the wave of energy flew from my mouth onto the walls. The Greybeards and Lydia seemed to struggle for a moment to regain their balance. I turned to Lydia to see her surprised expression. This was the first time she ever saw me Shout. I understood her surprise, I mean how would one feel if suddenly he could shout magic from his mouth? "Dragonborn, it is you!" The Greybeard I was talking to said with awe. "Welcome to High Hrothgar. I am Master Arngeir, I speak for the Greybeards." I bowed my head with respect.

"I am Will Svennson," I gestured towards Lydia, who stepped forward, "and this is my Housecarl Lydia." Arngeir nodded at her direction, and then turned to me.

"Why have you come here Dragonborn? What can we give to you?"

"I want to learn what it means to be Dragonborn." I said with determination.

"We're here to guid you in that pursuit." Said Arngeir. "Just as the Greybeards sought to guide those of the Dragon Blood that came before you." Before me?

"You mean I'm not the only Dragonborn?"

"You are not the first. There have been many of the Dragon Blood since Akatosh first bestowed the gift upon mankind. Whether you are the only Dragonborn of this age… That is not ours to know. You are the only one that has been revealed thus far, that is all I can say."

Arngeir led me to the center of the room. "You have shown that you are Dragonborn, and that you have the inborn gift. But do you have the discipline and temperament to follow the path laid out for you? That remains to be seen. Without training, you have already taken the steps into turning you Voice into a Thu'um. Now let us see if you are able to learn." He took a few steps back. "When you Shout you speak the language of dragons. Thus, your Dragon Blood gives you the inborn ability to learn the Words of Power. All Shouts are made up of three Words of Power, so as you learn new words, your shouts will become progressively stronger." He turned towards another Greybeard who stepped forward. "Master Einarth will teach you 'Ro', the second word in conjunction with 'Fus'. These make up Unrelenting Force. 'Ro' means balance in dragontounge, while 'Fus' means force. Combine them to make your Thu'um more sharp."

Einarth gestured to the dusty ground and whispered, "Ro." Markings came out of the dust, just like the ones that taught me Fus. The same thing happened before, albeit it happened a lot quicker. After the words burned into my mind Arngeir exclaimed, "You learned the Word like a master! You truly have the gift." He stepped froward as Einarth stepped back. "But learning the Words of Power is only the first step. You must unlock its meaning through constant practice to use it as a Shout." He paused. "Well, at least that's how we learn it. As Dragonborn, you have the power to learn and absorb its knowledge directly from slaying dragons. We have no slain dragons here, but Master Einarth will allow you to absorb his knowledge of 'Ro'" Whisps of energy came out of Einarth and flew towards me, just like when I killed the dragon.

"Show us your Thu'um."Arngeir said, while motioning to another Greybeard. The Greybeard nodded and Shouted some Words of Power I couldn't hear, and energy poured out of his mouth like a geyser, creating some sort of barrier between us, like a shield. Arngeir nodded to me. I focused hard like I did before, recalling how I felt when I Shouted before, but this time I would be adding to it. "FUS…RO!" I Shouted. Just like before, a wave of energy leapt out of my mouth, but this time it seemed more concentrated. More powerful. So powerful it broke the Greybeard's shield and threw him backwards, slamming him into the wall. The shield, however, didn't just disappear, it flew into different a dozen directions. I couldn't see where they all went, but I heard several vases and pots breaking. "Impressive," Arngeir said, "your Thu'um is precise. You show great promise Dragonborn." He looked around at the damage my Thu'um did. "The next trial… will be performed in the courtyard." He gestured to another Greybeard who stepped forward. "Follow Master Borri." As we moved along I saw the Greybeard I knocked backward dusting himself off with a sheepish look on his face. A Master of the Voice just underestimated a novice. A powerful novice, I thought while smirking.

It was raining when we got outside. One of the Greybeards Shouted and the skies grew clear. Woah. "We will now see how you fare with a different type of Shout." Arngeir continued. "Master Borri will teach you 'Wuld' which means whirlwind." Just as before with Einarth, Borri whispered wuld, the dust formed the word, and I learned it. Then Borri allowed me to absorb his knowledge of wuld. Arngeir then positioned me next to him, about twenty feet before a large iron gate. "Master Borri will open the gate, use your Thu'um before it closes." He nodded to Borri who Shouted, "Bex!" The gate swung open. "WULD!" I Shouted. I saw the world blur and rush before me, and suddenly I was on the other side of the gate. Wuld must've been some sort of speed Shout. I turned around to see the impressed faces of the Greybeards, and Lydia's shocked face, jaw open. "Your quick mastery of a new Thu'um is… astonishing." Arngeir said, with awe. "I'd heard stories of the abilities of Dragonborn, but to see it for myself…"

"Thank you." I blushed, I wasn't used to this kind of attention. "What's next?"

"You are now ready for your final trial." Arngeir said, composing himself. "Retrieve the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, our founder, from his tomb in the ancient fane of Ustengrav. Remain true to the Way of the Voice, and you will return." He held up his hand. "Sky guard you." He and the rest of the Greybeards went back inside, retiring to the many rooms of the keep.

As soon as we got back inside, I turned to Lydia and said, "We'll stay here for the night, and leave at first light." She nodded.

"A good night's rest will prepare us for the long journey downward." Thanks for reminding me, I thought in despair.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Hey sorry it's been a while. I have finals coming up so I can't update for awhile, but soon I won't have that issue because summer's almost here! Until then enjoy this chapter. I don't own Skyrim. Enjoy! **

The Way of The Voice

I was wiped by the time we came down to Ivarstead. Arngeir marked on our map where Ustengrav was located. It was not close. Lydia saw the look on my face and suggested we get some horses from the stables. I gave her the most happy look I had on my face before Helgen. "I lov-," I stopped short, "uh, I mean, good idea." Shite. Smooth one, Will. She didn't seem to hear me though, as she already started in the direction of the stables without glancing back. I breathed a sigh of relief and followed her. Soon we were on the road again, this time with horses underfoot. I never thought I'd be thanking the gods that the roads were filled with bandits whom we've killed in defense and raided gold from.

"What's it like?" Lydia asked suddenly. I frowned.

"What's what like?" I asked.

"You know," she gestured towards me, "Shouting."

"Oh, that." I scratched my head in thought. "Um, like regular shouting, I guess. Minus the whole magic-coming-out-of-my-mouth thing."

"That's kind of the part I meant." Lydia tried again with difficulty. It was like this was the longest conversation she ever had with someone that wasn't about combat and adventuring. "How does it feel, and all that?"

"Oh, well…" I struggled to think of a response. "It's all very strange, you know? Just saying a word in another language and causing magic to happen because of it. I mean, if you told me a week ago that not only was I a good fighter, but I could summon magic just by raising my voice, I'd call you mad beyond help." Lydia had to smile at that.

"I see." She said. We rode in silence for a while. I closed my eyes and let the warmth of the sun hit my face. I felt relaxed for the first time in a long time. Then my horse broke wind.

"Gods damned animal." I muttered. I could swear I heard Lydia giggle, but when I turned I saw no hint of this. Great, I thought, not only is she stuck in my head, but now I'm hearing her voice too. Honestly when would I have ever heard her giggle.

We finally reached Ustengrav after some time, fighting off bandits and wild animals along the way. After securing the horses, we made our way into the tomb. "I'll lead." I said to Lydia. She nodded and drew her blade. Once inside, we walked through cautiously. I was especially nervous about the skeletons. When Lydia asked me why, I responded "Because they tried to attack me once." She gave me a weird and confused look for a moment, but kept an eye out on the dead men, just in case. Suddenly I heard a voice call out and a ball of fire heading towards us. "Get down!" Lydia cried. We hit the ground in time to see a fireball soaring over us. Why, oh why would there be spell casting bandits down in a tomb? My rotten luck, I thought. I had an idea. I got up and shouted "FUS… RO!" The bandits flew back several feet, slamming into the cave wall. One got impaled by another's weapon, and another one hit a torch hanging on the, causing him to go up in flames. It was easier after that. The hard part was where they got up to, which explained why they seemed to be just waiting there. Tons of traps lay in wait. Jets of flame burst out of the walls and floors, while mechanisms in the walls worked the spikes coming in and out, in addition to the gates opening and closing. I spotted a lever on the far side of the room beyond the traps. An idea sprang to my mind. "Wait here." I said to Lydia. I ran up to the first row of fire spitting holes. When the flames retracted for a moment I Shouted "WULD!" I blurred past the fire trap and almost stumbled into the next one. A few moments, and some close calls later, I pulled the lever and the traps were switched off. After Lydia rejoined me, we continued through.

A few traps and puzzles later we came to a room filled with cobwebs and bones of those unfortunate not to get past. "I've got a bad feeling about this." Said Lydia. I agreed and unsheathed my sword. Instantly, giant spiders came out from behind the webs, pincers ready to crush us. I dodged to the side and slashed at two of them at once. I turned to see Lydia blocking one with her shield, while stabbing another one. I picked up a dagger I saw lying among the bones, and threw it with all my might at the spider. The dagger lodged itself in between its eyes, and the spider fell dead. "Well that wasn't so hard." I grinned, only to see Lydia's shocked expression. "What?" I asked.

"Dead men." She responded. I turned around to see the bones around us getting up, holding weapons in their hands.

"Shite," I said, "I was afraid this would happen." I gripped my sword tightly. "WULD!" I Shouted, and sped towards the center of the skeletons, my blade slicing through any in my way. These Shouts can be very useful in the battlefield, I thought as I brought up my blade through another skeleton's ribs. I turned to see another one behind me raise its sword, ready to strike down. The Lydia's blade cut through its neck, and it fell to the ground. "You should watch your back." She said.

"Then what would you watch?" I teased. She grinned before turning her attention back to the undead men. Soon we were standing over a pile of bones.

I was about to sheath my blade, when something beyond the thick webbing on the wall caught my attention. There seemed to be a certain hum and glow emanating from the wall. I quickly realized what it must have been and began hacking away furiously at the webbing to reveal ancient runes. A Word of Power. The burning flash came and went faster than before. I must be improving in my ability to read Dragontoungue, I thought. I told Lydia what it was. "Try it out." She gestured, taking a few steps back. I took a deep breath. "Feim!" I tried, but nothing happened. Lydia frowned. "Are you saying it right?" She asked.

"Yes." I replied, slightly annoyed. "I think I need to absorb a dragon's soul again in order to use it." This was a nuisance to me. All this power, and I can't even use it until I absorb its knowledge from a dragon or Greybeard. Sighing, I turned and went down the corridor, Lydia trailing behind. We reached a great room with waterfalls and statues of dragons coming out of the indoor lake, surrounding the path. At the end of the path stood a pedestal with a small chest. "I've never seen anything like this before." Lydia awed. We came up to the chest. This is it, the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, I thought excitedly. I opened the lid… to find a note. What in the hells? The note read:

_Dragonborn,_

_ I need to speak with you urgently, rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood, and I__'ll meet you_

_ - A friend_

I showed the note to Lydia. "This could be a trap." She said, cautiously.

"It probably is," I agreed, "but we don't have much of a choice. Whoever this 'friend' is also has the Horn, and I need that to complete my training. We have to go."

We finally made it to the Sleeping Giant in Riverwood, two days later. I was exhausted as we tied up our horses to the post and went inside. Lydia wanted to lead, but I refused. If there was any danger, I would take it head on. Plus, I didn't want her to get hurt on account of me, regardless of her duty. We made our way to the innkeeper. "If you want a room talk to Delphine." He said pointing to a blonde serving wench. I went up to her. "I'd like to rent the attic room, please." I said.

"Attic room, huh?" She said, giving me the once-over look. Lydia had her hand poised to whip out her sword at this. She must be really protective. "Well," Delphine finally said, "we don't have any attic rooms, but you can have the one on the left." She gestured to the door. "Make yourself at home." I paid her and headed to the room with Lydia.

"I thought we needed the attic room." She said to me, once I closed the door.

"So did I," I said, "but I think that may have been a password of some sort." Something was bugging me about that Delphine woman. I definitely saw her before, but where?

Soon the door opened and Delphine stepped inside. "So you're the Dragonborn everyone's been talking about."

"You?" I asked. "You're the one we're meet…" I stopped and a sudden realization dawned on me. "You were that woman back in Whiterun who was helping Farengar with that Drangonstone I got from Bleakwood." She nodded.

"I believe this is yours." She said, pulling out the Horn from within her dress. "We need to talk, follow me." Delphine led us to another room across the inn. She shut the door behind us and opened the closet door to a secret cellar. "Now we can talk." She said defending the stairs to what appeared to be a small workroom, filled with books and equipment, all for what appeared to be battle with great beasts. "The Greybeards seem to think you're the Dragonborn. I hope they're right."

"So you're the one who left the note" I asked.

"Surprised?" She asked. "I must be getting good at this harmless innkeeper act. I didn't go to all this trouble on a whim, I needed to make sure it wasn't a Thalmor trap." She took out the Horn and handed it to me. "I'm not you're enemy." She declared.

"I'll believe that when I see it." Lydia snarled. "How did you even know we were going to get the Horn unless you were following us?"

"I knew when I heard the summons." Delphine explained. "From there, it was obvious that they'd send you to fetch the relic of their founder as a test. I just intervened a bit." She turned to me. "Please, I just need you to hear me out. You can trust me"

"Says the thief." Lydia muttered. I raised my hand to silence her, or at least to let her know I had it handled.

"I'm listening." I said.

"I'm part of a group that's been looking for you," Delphine said," well, someone like you for a very long time. If you really are Dragonborn, that is. That's all I can say for now."

"Why do you need a Dragonborn?" I asked.

"We remember what most don't. That the Dragonborn is the ultimate dragonslayer." She answered. "You're the only one that can kill a dragon permanently by devouring its soul." She paused. "Can you do it? Devour its soul?"

"That's what happened the first time." I answered.

"Good," she said, "then you'll have the chance to prove it to me soon enough…" Something was wrong here.

"What's the part you're not telling me? I asked. Lydia edged closer, ready to pounce on Delphine if necessary.

"Dragons aren't just coming back." Said Delphine. "They're coming back to life. They weren't gone somewhere all these years, they were dead. Killed off by my predecessors. Now something's happening to bring them back to life and I need you to help me stop it."

"Do you know how crazy this all sounds?" Lydia asked.

"Believe me I know," Delphine answered, "I felt the same way years ago."

"How do you know the Dragons are coming back to life?" I asked.

"Because I visited their ancient burial grounds and found them empty." She answered. "And I know where the next on will come back to life. We're going to go there and you're going to kill that dragon. I f you succeed, I'll tell you anything you want to know." I thought about this for a moment.

"Where to?" I asked.

"Kynesgrove," Delphine pointed on a map, "if we can get there before it happens, maybe we'll learn how to stop it." She stood up straight. "If my calculations are correct we'll need to be there in a few days, meet me there, or don't bother showing your face around here again." With that she pointed to the exit for us to leave.

"What do you think?" I asked Lydia.

"I don't trust her completely," she said, "but if what she said is true, she's desperate, and she really does need us." She paused. "Or maybe just you."

"Alright," I said, taking a look on my map, "If we hurry we can bring the Horn back to the Greybeards first before we meet up with Delphine." I looked at Lydia. "Let's kill a dragon."

**Author's Note: So I know what I said happened in the tomb, didn't really happen that way exactly, but if you haven't realized, I'm trying to do a more abridged version of each dungeon and quest to skip over some of the boring stuff, while keeping in the important parts. Same reason why I said Will and Lydia got horses in ****Ivarstead****, even though I don't even know if there's a stable there. I'm just trying to speed up traveling a bit. See you next time!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Hey! Good news: Summer's here! Bad news: I'm going to camp in a few weeks. Other bad news: I'm going to school directly from camp so you won't be hearing from me for a while. So to compromise, so you won't kill me, I will try and keep updating as often as I can. I don't own Skyrim. Enjoy! **

**P.S. Apparently I'm an idiot because I didn't realize you could edit your stories when they're still documents and that my stories don't always appear just like I wrote them. I'll be sure to fix this.**

Dragonslayer

Lydia and I rushed the horses as fast as we could to Ivarstead and hurried up to High Hrothgar. The length of time it took to reach the top made me infuriatingly wish I could just travel to places on my map instantly. Oh well. At the top, tired as we were, we pushed on through the doors of the keep where we found Arngeir waiting for us. "Ah!" He said when he saw me, horn in hand. "You've retrieved the horn of Jurgen Windcaller." He took the horn from me and passed it on to another Greybeard. "Well done, you've now passed all of your trials. Come with me, it's time we formally recognized you formally as Dragonborn." He led me to the center of the room where the Greybeards began to gather for my initiation. "You are now ready to learn the final word of Unrelenting Force, 'Dah', which means 'Push'." Arngeir announced. He nodded to another Greybeard who stepped forward and whispered "Dah." The letters appeared in the dust and burned into my mind. Arngeir continued, "With all three words together, the Shout is much more powerful. Use it wisely." The Greybeard then let me absorb his knowledge of Dah. When the wisps disappeared, The Greyebeards all stepped forward. "You've completed your training, Dragonborn." Arngeir said. "We would Speak to you. Stand between us and prepare yourself. Few can withstand the unbridled Voice of the Greybeards. But you are ready." Lydia took a few steps away to be safe.

Arngeir gave the signal and all the Greybeards lifted their hands into the air. They began to chant, the walls shook from their words. "_Lingrah krosis saraan Strundu'ol , voth nid baloon klov praan nau. Naal Thu'umu, mu ofan nii nu, Dovakhiin, naal suleyk do Kaan, naal suleyk do Shor, ahrk naal suleyk do Atmorasewuth. Meyz nu Ysmir, Dovasehbrom. Dahmaan daar rok._" Though the ground shook me left and right, I stayed upright, although Lydia fell to the floor several times and looked quite nauseous. When the Greybeards finished, Arngeir looked to me and said, "Dovakhiin, you have tasted the Voice of the Greybeards and have passed unscathed. High Hrothgar is open to you." The Greybeards bowed and left the room. I looked to Lydia, who through her weak state smiled weakly. I smiled back. I went up to Arngeir and asked if he could let me absorb the knowledge of the Word I learned in to crypt, but he said I would have to kill a dragon to learn it myself, as it was a Shout for combat which none of the Greybeards have learned or found any use for. I nodded and left with Lydia for Kynesgrove to meet up with Delphine.

* * *

With all the strength our horses could muster, it took a day to reach Kynesgrove, where we met the fully equipped Delphine in the darkness, hiding behind some boulders. She had twin swords strapped to her back. "Get down!" She hissed. Lydia and I crouched beside her.

"What are we hiding from?" I asked.

"We're not hiding." Delphine retorted, a little insulted I accused her of cowardice. She pointed to the sky. "We're scouting that." I looked and gasped with shock.

"T-that," I stammered, "that's the dragon from Helgen!." It was indeed the same black dragon that was circling above our heads. I almost could hear it chanting something. I strained to listen. They were Words of Power! Then a circular group of stones and earth marked in front of us began to glow. I pointed this out to Delphine.

"That's a dragon's grave!" She exclaimed. A blast came from the grave and the bones of a dragon materialized, with muscles and scaly skin to follow. The dragon from Helgen seemed to stop his chanting and began to give the reborn dragon instructions. With all the training that I had, I had no idea what they were saying. The dragon from Helgen noticed me and began to speak to me in the common tounge.

"**You do not even know our tongue, do you**?" The dragon bellowed in a deep voice. "**Such arrogance to take for yourself the name of Dovah.**" He roared one last time before flying off into the night, leaving us with the now fully formed dragon, ready to tear us apart.

"Attack!" Delphine shouted and we drew our blades. The women attacked the dragon from either side while I went straight forward. It snapped its jaws and I rolled to the side, dodging the attack, and countered with a swipe across its face. Lydia pierced her sword though its hide with a single, but strong, stab, while Delphine used her blades to try and cut one of the wings off. The dragon sensed this and raised its huge wings and flew upward. It flew through the sky, coming back around to us for an aerial attack. When it got close an idea sprang into my head. I positioned myself quickly and Shouted, "FUS… RO… DAH!" The blast of focused energy flew from my lips and straight into the mid-air dragon. The blast threw its balance and concentration and it fell to the ground, dazed. We took this opportunity to attack. Just like the last dragon, I jumped on top, striking downward at the head, while Lydia went to work on the neck, and Delphine hacked away at its chest. In one final movement, we each struck fatal blows at the exact same time, killing the beast. Its death was confirmed when the wisps of its soul came up to be absorbed by me. I stood proud in front of the now skeletonized dragon. I had just killed my second dragon in under a week. I. Am. Dragonborn.

Delphine seemed to understand that. "You… you really are…" She was so full of awe she couldn't speak. Lydia smirked and joined me at my side. Delphine paused to compose herself and take a breath. "I owe you some answers, don't I?"

"Yes, you do." Lydia and I said at once. We stopped and looked and each other quickly. I hoped she didn't notice I was blushing.

"Go ahead. Whatever you want to know. Nothing held back." Delphine continued.

"Who are you, exactly?" Lydia demanded.

"And what do you want with me?" I continued.

"I am the last of the Blades." Delphine answered. "A long time ago, the Blades were dragonslayers and we served the Dragonborn, the greatest dragonslayer. For the last two hundred years, since the Dragonborn emperor, the Blades have been searching for a purpose. Now that dragons are coming back, it's clear our purpose is clear again. We need to stop them." I accepted this.

"What's our next move?" I asked.

"Wait." Lydia interrupted. She turned to me. "May I have a word in private." I nodded and held up a finger to signal Delphine to wait. When we walked a few feet away, Lydia turned to me and whispered:

"Are you crazy? We don't know anything about this woman other than her story, with no way to prove if it is indeed true, and now you want to work with her?"

"We don't have much else to go on." I whispered back. "Whether she is to be believed or not, dragons are coming back, you saw that for yourself. We need all the help and answers that we can get." She nodded reluctantly.

"I just don't trust her." She said.

"Then trust me." I said. She gave me a silent look and nodded. We walked back to the waiting Delphine. "As I was saying, what's our next move?" I repeated.

"The first thing we need to figure out is who's behind the dragons. The Thalmor are our best lead. If they aren't involved, they'll know who is." The Thalmor, even I knew who they were from Pa's stories. They are the faction that rules the Aldmeri Dominion and nearly destroyed the Empire during the Great War. In Pa's stories they always seemed to have a villainous role, the worst enemy anyone could find in Tamriel. The Empire barely survived the last war, and I doubt the Thalmor inter to lose the next one. But that didn't necessarily mean they were behind this.

"What makes you think they're the ones behind this?" I asked.

"Nothing solid. Yet." Delphine admitted. "But my gut tells me otherwise. Think about it. The Empire captures Ulfric. The war was basically over. The dragon attacks, Ulfric escapes, and the war is back on. And now dragons are attacking everywhere. Skyrim is weakened. The Empire is weakened. Who else would gain but the Thalmor?"

"Wait," I asked, "Ulfric isn't Thalmor. He's just a man who started a rebellion for freedom."

"The war with Ulfric keeps the Empire busy." Delphine answered. 'Making Ulfric just a pawn."

"Fine," I said, "we need to figure out if the Thalmor know anything about the dragons." I thought for a moment. "Do you have any ideas?"

"The Thalmor Embassy might hold a few answers for us. " Delphine answered. "Problem is the place is locked up tighter than a miser's purse."

"So how do we get in?" Lydia asked. I smiled at her. She may not trust Delphine, but I was glad to see she was on board.

"I'm not sure yet, but I have a few ideas." Said Delphine. "Give me some time to pull things together, and meet me back in Riverwood in a few days' time. If I'm not there, wait for me. I shouldn't be long." She turned to take her leave. "Keep an eye on the sky," she warned, "This is only going to get worse."


End file.
